How did Karl Marx define social classes?

In Marx’s work, social classes are defined by their distinctive relationships to themeans of production. Taking this approach, Marx defined two classes in theemerging industrial societies of his own time: the capitalist class (or bourgeoisie)and the working class (or proletariat).

Does Marx view ideology as a feature of all societies?

Marx does not view ideology as a feature of all societies, and, in particular, suggests that it will not be a feature of a future communist society. However, ideology is portrayed as a feature of all class-divided societies, and not only of capitalist society—although many of Marx’s comments on ideology are concerned with the latter.

Did Weber accept Marx's idea of the underlying economic basis of Strati-fication?

The major American politicalparties are amorphous coalitions that have never been as clearly oriented towardthe pursuit of class interests as have, for example, the working-class parties ofWestern Europe. None of this would have surprised Weber. In sum, Weber accepted Marx’s idea of the underlying economic basis of strati-fication.

Does Marx fit events into a fixed pattern of history?

And it is certainly true that when Marx analyses a particular historical episode, as he does in the 18th Brumaire of Louis Napoleon (1852), any idea of fitting events into a fixed pattern of history seems very far from Marx’s mind.